There’s no-one who’s reading this that hasn’t had a family member or friend encounter a horrible terminal illness, me included. I still found it funny – because terminal illness is far from funny. And that’s why for me, it was funny. A laughing release from the awful reality.

For me it was not only what the gag was about that bothered me, it was also the fact that there was massive condemnation of the show without any room for debate or reason. It’s ok to disagree (as we do here), and yet still respect the other. The name calling/death threatening behaviour that followed removed any chance of actual debate, which was a pity. It’s one thing to feel viciously right, it’s another to have your opponent come around to see your point of view.

I think the example of your doctor parents joking about sensitive experiences in their daily work is only valid if they did it in front of their patients or patients families. I am sure it is good and probably necessary therapy for them amd dosn’t diminsh in any way how they feel about the people they help in such awful circumstances.

It is ok for you to laugh but if it was about somebody you loved and cared about, who was suffering as much as terminally ill children, I think you would find it much more difficult to enjoy the humour.

Interested in your reaction.

Regards Graham

At voice of reason amid the mass media-driven hysteria.

Obviously there will be people for whom this will bring up sad memories, but I think those people would have had those memories triggered by other things too..

Keep up the honesty.

xx

x aa

Thanks for one of the most sensible commentaries I’ve read on this topic. I agree with you – humour is important, and it is also subjective. The Chaser guys push the envelope, and I don’t always laugh, but I know that they are trying to get us to think, and there isn’t much on television any more that makes us think!

Like you, I have spent time in hospitals with children who are sick and suffering. I am always blown away by their sense of fun and humour. Children are hard to offend, because they appreciate imagination. They seek the funny side of things. The skit was in poor taste, but so are many of the jokes I’ve heard from children in hospital, about their own condition!

As a side note, I’ve been somewhat amused by the number of friends who think the guys went into a hospital and played this out to a real, sick kid. As I said in my response to you on Twitter yesterday… have people lost the ability to tell the difference between a sketch and a prank?

ChellesW x

Telling a joke is one thing but to dress healthy chidren up with bandanas on thier heads and dark rings around their eyes as dying children and broadcast it to the public at large in the name of humour is a totally different thing.

Life is full of degrees and this is an example of gallows humour taken too far off the scale of decency. Im not saying that there isn’t a place for Chaser and their edgy comedy style. It is confronting and does go where others would dare not and that is good. I believe there has to be a limit where respect for others suffering wins out.

We lost a family member, a six year old boy to cancer. The grief of such a young and innocent spirit being taken away at such a heartbreakingly tender age and in such a horrible way will never end.

I read your recent interview where you said one of the most precious photos you will ever take is the one of your first born opening their eyes for the first time. Imagine then that very same child closing their eyes at the age of six for the last.